Abstract: (48 Views)
Title: Institutional Inconsistencies in Women's Welfare Policymaking: An Analysis of Obstacles in the Policy System Against NGOs' Participation
Abstract:
Introduction: Despite the official discourse emphasizing its importance, the participation of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) in women's welfare policymaking in Iran remains largely ineffective and limited. This situation, which can be termed the "institutional silence" of NGOs, stems from internal dysfunctions within the policymaking system that hinder their effective role.
Method: This qualitative study employed thematic analysis. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 15 individuals, including civil activists, policymakers, women's studies scholars, and NGO managers, conducted between August 2023 and May 2024. The data were analyzed using Elinor Ostrom's institutional analysis framework.
Findings: The analysis revealed seven main themes: "Informational dysfunctions," "Attitudinal and approach dualities," "Ethical vacuum in the power sphere," "Managerial incompetence," "Token participation," "Financial corruption," and "Promise-action gap." These themes form a complex network of multilayered barriers that effectively impede NGO participation.
Discussion: The extracted themes uncovered a set of hidden, obstructive patterns within the policymaking system that operate as a vicious cycle. Breaking this cycle necessitates institutional redesign, strengthening transparency and accountability mechanisms, and a fundamental revision of the approaches governing women's welfare policymaking.
Abstract:
Introduction: Despite the official discourse emphasizing its importance, the participation of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) in women's welfare policymaking in Iran remains largely ineffective and limited. This situation, which can be termed the "institutional silence" of NGOs, stems from internal dysfunctions within the policymaking system that hinder their effective role.
Method: This qualitative study employed thematic analysis. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 15 individuals, including civil activists, policymakers, women's studies scholars, and NGO managers, conducted between August 2023 and May 2024. The data were analyzed using Elinor Ostrom's institutional analysis framework.
Findings: The analysis revealed seven main themes: "Informational dysfunctions," "Attitudinal and approach dualities," "Ethical vacuum in the power sphere," "Managerial incompetence," "Token participation," "Financial corruption," and "Promise-action gap." These themes form a complex network of multilayered barriers that effectively impede NGO participation.
Discussion: The extracted themes uncovered a set of hidden, obstructive patterns within the policymaking system that operate as a vicious cycle. Breaking this cycle necessitates institutional redesign, strengthening transparency and accountability mechanisms, and a fundamental revision of the approaches governing women's welfare policymaking.
Article number: 6
Keywords: : Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), welfare policymaking, women, social participation, institutional dysfunction.
Type of Study: orginal |
Received: 2025/05/3 | Accepted: 2026/02/9
Received: 2025/05/3 | Accepted: 2026/02/9
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Social Welfare Quarterly
Social Welfare Quarterly, Social Welfare Research Department, University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation, Daneshjoo Blvd, Evin, Tehran, Iran, 19857-13834
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Website: http://refahj.uswr.ac.ir
Email: refahj@uswr.ac.ir
